The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for a control device and a method for actuating a control device.
Control devices, particularly for automotive applications, have to be protected against reverse polarity and electrical surge (for example: load dump). A so-called main relay, which is supposed to ensure an extremely small quiescent current consumption, is furthermore needed to operate these control devices.
The functions: reverse polarity protection, electrical surge protection and main relay are known from prior art as individual, separate circuits. As a result, the electrical surge protection is usually implemented only by means of a transient voltage suppression diode; and all of the successive circuit parts have to be able to withstand the terminal voltages of the transient voltage suppression diode.